Part 5/10:
A critical aspect of this controversy involves the leak of The Last of Us Part II gameplay footage. Many online communities and content creators argue that the leaks originated from inside Naughty Dog rather than hackers. Ryan referenced a leaked build from April 2020, which was used to substantiate claims that the leaks came from a developer within the studio, not external malicious actors.
Despite these facts, major media outlets have largely ignored the internal leak origins, instead focusing solely on the narrative that external hackers or “leakers” are to blame. This selective reporting keeps the public misinformed and benefits Naughty Dog's damage control efforts.